I received an update on Bai’s from her sister. To bring you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about the MacFarlane divorce but were afraid to ask.
This was in my e-mail from Bai’s sister:
Brief synopsis of content of letter: This past week a constitutional law professor submitted notice to the Ohio Supreme Court of his challenge to routine no-fault divorce because the parties’ promises to be married for life in accordance with the rules of their chosen church can’t be ignored. Express your concern about the issue by writing to those who are in a position to do something about it by visiting Protect Ohio Marriages. Read the letter below for further explanation.
Dear advocates of authentic marriage,
I’d like to invite you to join me in action and prayer to promote the recognition by the state of authentic “til death do us part” marriages. My sister is Bai Macfarlane, the founder and director of the pro-marriage organization, Mary’s Advocates. Just 3 summers ago, she was a Catholic wife and homeschooling mother of four sons. As many of you know, in late 2003, Bai’s husband, also a devout Catholic, abandoned her for reasons that have yet to be adequately explained. Although Bai did everything in her power to preserve the marriage to which both she and her husband had vowed lifelong commitment, three years and tens of thousands of dollars later, she has not only had the divorce imposed on her, but she has also lost custody of her four sons because of her desire to continue home schooling, and after years of being a stay home mom, now needs to join the work force and start paying child support.
While Bai was suffering through this unbelievably unjust nightmare, she discovered that she has lots of company. There are countless spouses in imperfect marriages who still want to remain faithful to their vows, but when their partner decides throw in the towel, these committed spouses are given no choice but to acquiesce and accept the no-fault divorce industry’s sentence for them. I’m sure that most of you don’t need to look very far to find friends or relatives who have suffered similarly.
Petition for Appeal Delivered to Ohio Supreme Court
I revisit the Macfarlanes’ tragic story because of the most recent development in my sister’s efforts to regain the custody of her children, restore the integrity of her marriage, and pave the way for innumerable other committed spouses. Her attorney, constitutional law professor and founder of TrueMarriage.net, Steven Safranek has just filed a petition with the Ohio Supreme Court to appeal the divorce decree, on the grounds that it is unconstitutional to ignore the marriage vows proclaimed by a man and a woman when they marry, particularly when these vows are taken in the context of the Church, which has laws and procedures regarding marriage that differ vastly from those of the state.
In any other contract, the parties cannot be released from their commitments without mutual consent. In justice, when one party breaks the contract, he must suffer the consequences, yet when a marriage contract is broken through “no-fault” divorce, the party who wants to remain committed to the terms of the contract is penalized in life-altering ways. To read Bai Macfarlane’s explanation of the unconstitutional nature of forced no-fault divorce see her No Fault Divorce “Marriage” Proposal. Tools that have proven especially helpful to me in gaining an understanding of the importance of this issue are Steven Baskerville’s articles: The No Blame-Game and Strengthening Marriage Through Divorce and Custody Reform. Multiple additional resources and details on Bai’s story can be found at the home of her ministry, Mary’s Advocates.
Invitation to Pray and Act
Of course, Bai and our family would deeply appreciate your prayers for the Ohio Supreme Court to be open to hearing the appeal, as well as ongoing intercession for a pro-marriage renaissance in our society, that lifelong marriage would be restored to its place as both the ideal and the norm, upheld in our laws and by our courts.
In addition, I’d especially like to encourage you to take action by writing. While the Ohio Supreme Court, rightfully so, does not consider public opinion when deciding whether or not to hear a case, this appeal of Bai’s case opens a window of opportunity to get the discussion going in the public arena. Would you please consider writing a short e-mail letter to the editor to an Ohio newspaper or two or to an Ohio legislator? Names, contact information, and a sample e-mail can be found at Protect Ohio Marriages. Feel free to use your own words and share your unique perspective.
If there is any hope for the revitalization of the crucial institution of marriage in our society, the public must become aware of the nature of the problem. That will require thousands of people, like ourselves, who have begun to see unrestrained divorce to be the pestilence that it is, to enlighten those in our spheres of influence as well as sharing our concerns with those in positions to make a difference. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and for any action that you might take in response to it, whether it be prayer, discussion with friends and family, or writing the suggested letters. Please don’t hesitate to pass this e-mail on to others.
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